? On the Dong

What year did the Romanians phase out the Dong handguard on the 7.62x39 AKs like their MD90? Or are they still in use today. I have a matching MD90 kit with a non matching handguard. I believe it was a gun that made it to Croatia during the Balkans War. The Dong has a sticker on it that looks like Yugo writing but no trench art. The trunnion is dated 1991.

For 1991 I'd say the orange/amber dong is correct from the factory. Most from that time period did not have numbers on the hand guards. They seemed to abandon the practice of numbering hand guards in the 1990's.

The standard issue Romanian military rifle is still the Md.86 which of course sports a dong.

Md.90 was never intended to be used as a first line weapon. Maybe second or third. No combatant troops are issued Md.90's or 7.62x39 rifles for that matter.
Most likely it was meant for export.

The muzzle could have both the nut or the slant brake.

Anyway, I'd say get your hands on as many dongs as possible. The reverse dongs are more rare and will hold their value better. The supply will dry out soon.

The only hope for the future in terms of kits, rifles and parts is the replacement of the current stock of Md.86's with the newly manufactured and hopefully soon issued Beretta ARX. But that will take years till we start seeing a flood of those products on our shores. There is hope nonetheless.

My son was issued one with a dong when he was attached to a Romanian Unit in Iraq in 2006 or 07. I can't remember which year as he was in both Iraq and Afcrapastan during both years. They were amazed that his Dad had both 'G' kits and built guns (SAR 1 and 3's) and two PSL's in private hands. They did not understand the semi only concept of a RPD and RPK in semi only. I had to send pictures and showed them to a few of his friends in the Unit when we talked on Skype. I have to say the young ladies in their military over there were REALLY attractive.